Labour MEP puts forward hunting proposals to EU environment commissioner

Yesterday, Commissioner Janez Potocnik held a meeting with MEPs Veronique Mathieu, chairperson of the EP’s intergroup ‘Sustainable Hunting, Biodiversity, Rural Activities, Agriculture & Forestry’,and John Attard Montalto, with regards the issue of spring hunting in Malta.

The hunting federation FKNK said that Potocnik had “recognised the fact that according to the European Court of Justice judgement in the case of the Commission against Malta, spring hunting in Malta in future years was not excluded.” The FKNK said this would be decided on the basis of proportionality. 

Attard Montalto, representing the FKNK’s interests in Brussels, put forward a number of proposals, forwarded by Maltese and Gozitan hunting associations, that “take into consideration the underlying principles” of the ECJ judgement.

The MEPs made a formal proposal to the Commission to carry out an in-depth independent and impartial study on migratory birds, in a bid to see a correct application of the principle of proportionality. Attard Montalto also presented proposals related to bird trapping.

MEP Veronique Mathieu was quoted as saying that the proposals by Attard Montalto “were very sensible and should be given serious consideration.” The sustainable hunting intergroup was established in 1985, and its secretariat is coordinated by FACE (The Federation of Associations for Hunting & Conservation in the EU), the FKNK’s European partners.